Help me do something around this tub!

seppysillsFebruary 4, 2013

I'm trying a repost and hoping anyone can help me here because I'm really stuck. We finally have a bathtub we can actually fit in for he first time in our lives. The tile is throughout the entire small bathroom (navy around the tub and a pale blue on the floor. The walls are currently baby blue. I'm not married to it. I want to make this little tub nook feel prettier and more luxurious. Or at least just make it look better. Should I paint the walls around it? Add shelves? Just add frames? Stencil? Notice the major sloping ceiling. That's what's kinda throwing me off.

Thanks in advance!

Ps: that bright rectangle I light coming in from the skylight on the opposite sloping ceiling.

Are you not married to tile and paint, or just the paint? If it's in the budget, I would remove the blue tile on tub skirt and deck, and replace with something a little more, as you put it, luxurious. Something solid like granite, stone, or even concrete if I may. The alcove could be finished in the same, or a complimentary material. It looks like you have kids (toys on deck), so you probably will want something that is easy to clean. I'll attach a pic of a master bath that I recently did in stacked slate with concrete vanity and sinks, may not be suitable to your bath, but I like showing off my work! Hope you get some inspiration from others for your bath.

First of all THANK YOU so much for this! This is my 2nd time posting this question and I thought I'd e without any answers again! I love your idea. And NO NO NO am I married to the idea I keeping the hideous tile. I really wish we had the funds to do what you are suggesting (which I like) but we can't afford it yet. I will def keep this idea for the future when we do have $$$ to do a bigger change. Thanks again! You have a lovely bathroom - I'm jealous!

Hi seppysills, I have attached a few colour ideas for you if you choose to keep the blue tiles..Navy blue is an easy colour to work with and you really do not have to go through the expense of ripping the tiles out..If re-doing the tiles is an option then the possibilities are endless however, if you just need something fresh to work with what you have here is an idea..Good Luck..

Here are some more photos to inspire you. The second one came to mind because of the skylight you have. You could tile just up to where the slope begins and then use decals that depict a sky view on the sloping section of the ceiling. Or you could have a mural painted on the sloping area, featuring clouds and blue sky.
Carolyn Albert-Kincl, ASID

Love all these excellent suggestions! Our budget probably is only about $400 max at this point. After we save some money (in next 4 years) we will be able to do a big Reno. Not now though. Keep the great suggestions comig and THANKS!!

Thank for the compliment, but alas this is not my bathroom, but a customers, (but I know they get the jealous compliment alot). What type of budget do you have, in knowing the parameters, the experts here would probably be able to set their sights on helping you pick out choices that are more in line with your limits. Using the right materials, and proper pros sometimes can be more economical than you may think.

Oh boy, your limited with space around the tub too eh? I would paint the walls a grey tone ,and add a small wood shelf (pottery barn has wood shelves in varying lengths) to display baths salt in clear cookie type vase along with some rolled white hand towels, white fluffy bath mats, magazine rack across the tub with bath bars, wooden hand scrubs etc. Get a basket so you can keep the toys hidden but accessible. If the shelf is looking unbalanced in the small space, then keep it simple with some hooks to hang some white towels. That' should keep it under $400

What about creating an intimate sense of enclosure to the space...perhaps by hanging a curtain rod with some light linen type curtain panels pulled to the sides? Paint just the alcove around the tub a white color to brighten it up a bit.

Shelves on the side wall could store the bath accessories but be sorta hidden from view by the curtain panels.

Because of the sloping ceiling, I would not put anything inside the tub alcove and would clear out everything that's there now. Then I would get a small chest or table to store shampoos and toys and extra towels. Something that combines closed and open storage would be ideal. Put it close enough to be reached from the tub.

Thank you all for the great suggestions!! I've considered putti up curtains. And I love the idea/ suggestions of the small cabinets but... The room is incredibly small. Let me add this picture that will help you understand just how small the space is. Do you all think hanging Curtains would make the place look even smaller?

I DO need to kick out the kids toys - AND the kid more often! Thanks for the reminder!

Thank you all for the great suggestions!! I've considered putti up curtains. And I love the idea/ suggestions of the small cabinets but... The room is incredibly small. Let me add this picture that will help you understand just how small the space is. Do you all think hanging Curtains would make the place look even smaller?

I DO need to kick out the kids toys - AND the kid more often! Thanks for the reminder!

I AGREE on the mirror! The way you see the space is exactly how I was when we bought the house in September. Even with that dumb mirror - which only shows my midsection (something I really don't feel like staring at ever!). You think putting a mirror on the slope would work. Im liking the idea. Should it be vey large (like the width of the sinks and almost to he top of the slope?). Again thanks for all your help!

Because of your other modern elements, I would say no to the curtains. (IMHO) :-) If they hang to the floor (which they should), it looks like they might block the door somewhat. I think clean and uncluttered is best. I still like the grey walls, looks good with navy and dark wood, then keep all the accessories white.

Any ideas on bringing in some pops of color since the whole place is tiled? I love the idea of painting grey but wonder what colors could help the space look a bit more cheerful. And I am mixing the curtain idea too - thanks!

That's a very interesting bathroom and it certainly does offer some decorating challenges. It looks like you have some space over the toilet. Could you put some shelves in there? White wicker baskets could hold toys and toiletries. Also, I'd remove the door and purchase a new one with a flat surface to which you could attach a full length mirror . Then if you wanted you could remove the mirrored backsplash (must be hard to keep clean) and just paint this area and maybe put up hand towel hooks or a small glass shelf. Ikea sells some glass shelves for the bathroom. I liked the pairing of the navy and yellow suggested by Design by Shelley. A very soft yellow would warm up the room and you could add some brighter yellow towels for some punch. Have you thought about changing the colour of the sink cabinet? If you painted it lighter (similar shade to the wall) it would recede and help create the illusion of space. Is there anywhere else you could mount some lighting? The ones you have don't light a very big area and it must be tricky to apply makeup or do your hair. Good luck.

It looks like you have space to move the vanity down a bit and give more room for the toilet. This could involve shifting over some plumbing, which might open a can of worms. Put a small flat mirror on the end wall next to your shower where the towel bar is (relocate towel bar). Mount a pair of adjustable arm make up mirrors above each sink.

Eliminate the sconce above the mirror. Replace the ceiling light fixture with a monorail track lighting running down the length of the bathroom. I agree with a gray wall color to help keep it modern.

Some small art prints on the side walls of your tub alcove could dress that space up and add a pop of color. Or a towel bar with colorful towels.

All wonderful ideas. I do hate that lighting fixture above the sinks and find it unnecessary. I have looked at those ikea glass shelves and will definitely steal that idea to put above the sinks. I am keeping all of these ideas and will be getting started on a redo soon. Anyone else with an opinion on adding a large mirror to the sloping ceiling above the sink?

I agree with shelley with the addition of yellow to brighten it up, otherwise I would keep all accessories (for example, the bath rug) white. You mention "luxurious" and nothing is more so!

I would also consider installing two or three picture ledges on the back tub wall-- behind where your head rests in the tub. Small and discreet they wouldn't overpower anything and (as long as they were deep enough! check depth!) they could hold bottles and toys etc. Ikea has some very cheap ones (Ribba picture ledge) but they probably aren't solid wood so depending on how much of a splasher your kid is they might not hold up. There are lots of versions of this sort of thing and they're also incredibly easy to make.

I can't quite tell how much space you have to the right of the bathroom vanity, but a little storage stool could do the trick for easy access to kids' toys. you could even attach a structured seat cushion in a fabric you love and it would be so easy to move over to the tub for bathtime as well as give you a seat (/not your knees!) The one I'm posting is the molger from Ikea (love Ikea for some simple things!)

Oh Julie - I love the idea of the little chair. Even of it is just used to help me shave my legs!

My son actually has his own bathroom - his toys are there to help me clean and tidy my room and bathroom (my room is on the floor above his). He seems to gravitate towards playing cars and trucks in my bathtub! Because he doesn't use the tub there I am not afraid of a lovely white rug! Also I have thought about small shelves behind my head since I moved in. Your suggestion has made me feel ok about doing it.

One question to you all - what shade of grey do you see for the walls? A light shade or medium shade? Also there is a very small bit of ceiling where the slopes meet the other 2 sides of the walls. It is probably 2 ft by 1 foot. Should I paint that bit white or just paint the whole thing the wall color (as the previous owner had done with the blue on the walls). Just curious of your thoughts.

I really like your nautical looking bathroom. I would get one large bathroom mat or rug running the length of the room. It will read larger(longer), instead of the two split ones. My first instinct was to to something with mirror. Have a strip on the back wall of the bathtub that is vertical not sloped. How about a plant and candles? Two round silver mirrors on the left and right side of the door, to look like ship windows? Here a few photos with mirror accents, the third one showing a general white and blue palette in an office. Plants do make a difference in our lives and most love a more humid environment.

Another thing: i would not paint the bathroom gray. In general few pretty things around the tub, on the wall...Would make it special. The toys were already discussed...could fit in a pretty plastic bin and put away.Candles and a few sparkly things in general would take this place from pedestrian (sorry) to bedazzling! I don't think it will take much. Best of luck!

For a more sophisticated look you might try gray with your blue.To make the space look larger , if this doesn't scare you, I would mirror the wall. I believe you can get mirror tiles or simply have your local glass and mirror company come and take a look and make suggestions.

You may be sick of suggestions at this point but I would get some awesome & inexpensive glass tiles to use up to the break in the ceiling & carry it around to the back of the tub. Then get a great piece of art that can be mounted on that sloped ceiling that you could enjoy while bathing & would set off the room. Should be within your budget & look awesome!

Oops, fingers slipped. What a fun space to work with. mveasey mentioned nautical which is what struck me when I viewed the tub. Couple of ideas to consider given a budget of $400 so you can save up for the future remodel. First, go with the navy and white and capitalize on it as the dark vanity with white top plays into it well.

Consider paneling all of the straight sided walls up to where they break to a slope with beadboard (or the wider tongue in groove) panels paneled a glossy white. For the walls surrounding the tub, a thin shim along the walls above the tile border would allow you panel over the 4" squares so only the front and top of the tub surround were navy. Trim molding to edge corners and the top edges of all panels will add to a finished look. Both types of panels are not expensive, so you could manage this under your budget. If the floor is vinyl, you could find vinyl planks or sheet to match the flooring in your bedroom to make the look continuous from room to room. Otherwise the white with navy accents is fine for now as are the vanity, mirror and lights. Once you have the paneling up, I'd leave the walls the same white color to expand the room but paint a semi-gloss to reflect light. You could also look at the effect of paneling up the sloped ceilings to see if you like that. Two other quick fixes . . . paint the door to the bathroom the same white as your trim color, and the trim on the inside of the door white as well. And for the tub surround, with navy acrylic craft paint in the exact shade of the navy tile (or a hint darker) you could paint out the white grout and seal it with grout sealer to erase the white lines. Easier to keep clean as well. Accessories could be in a dark bamboo look/finish along with navy, white or even deep red towels to bring in a hint of a British Colonial look if that works for you.

Since your goal is to save for a more major remodel, I would not go beyond surface refinishes. If you like them, you'll be able to live with them for quite a while and if not, you're out $400 or less.

I like sjkingstons ideas.When you do a reno down the road and want to save a few dollars you could surround the tub, assuming you keep it in the same spot and you like the tub still. People have strips of marble, etc cut, and cover the top surround and the front; then caulk/seal it well.Regarding the gray; paint is a very personal choice. The photos made the wall look very, very light blue, so it didn't read very baby blue to me. I know how you feel, having just purchased and feeling the other party still so of lives there, because of their decorating choices. Since I mentioned the nautical and I like a more modern clean look, I would probably stay in the safe zone and do an off white. But I like other suggestions with the yellow, more hip. It depends which direction you like, what your personal style is, what makes you happy not what houzzers tell you to do! As they say, no decorating police will come by your house to check on the bathroom. I have heard before though, not to necessarily paint a bathroom a certain green, because it will make you look unwell, sort of makes sense to me...anyhow, rambling here...hope you find a great solution!Here another photo I found, some interest for your right nook.

Wow, again, thank you! Sjkingston - I really thank you for taking the time to really detail your answer. I am really loving all these thoughts and, no, I'm not sick of all of them. It's really helping me open my mind to things I never would've thought of on my own.

And thanks mveasey for understanding - I really do still feel like all the paint choices that are in my home are very personal to the old owner. Most of it is historical colors (which I don't mind but feel just a bit too old and cold for my choice). The house is 100 years old and the previous owners lived here over 30 years so, at first, I just wanted to repaint the ENTIRE home just to make it mine. In time... in time!

Ok, you all may be sick of ME, but I'm gonna throw one more thing out there. As I mentioned earlier, this bathroom is me and my husband's and is located on the 3rd floor of the home. The reason why it is so small w/ the sloping ceiling is because the previous owners put it in a place on the 3rd floor where our Victorian roof comes to a point (hence, the slopes). My bedroom is the ENTIRE 3rd floor. It is huge but is cut in half by a walk in closet (well, more a walk-in-then-walk-out since there are 2 doors - one leading from our bedroom into the closet and out of the closet and into the "sitting room". Attached to that "sitting room" is the bathroom.

Got that? Confused? My other question if anyone cares to answer is - how necessary is it to make the look of the bathroom (and color schemes) flow into that sitting room? I haven't done a thing to this sitting room. It's still painted a horrendous shade of poop-brown (which I am changing). I have, though, started painting in my bedroom (which is white with magenta damask stencil on the wall against my headboard - it's really still a work in progress but I love how the white walls make the room so much brighter than it is).

If my bedroom is white (with the magenta accent wall) and I will consider painting my bathroom white or grey, will it help with the flow if the sitting room is painted a similar shade to the bathroom? Would love your thoughts.

And if you think a picture would help, let me know... I'll go upload one quickly!

As they say a picture speaks a thousand words, so yes uploading some pictures will definetly help. As I suggested before the more information on your parameters you can provide i.e. pictures, budget, personal preferences, the better the feedback the pros can offer.

Got it. I'll repeat a few things since this is beginning to be a long discussion:

1. budget for bathroom - $400. not much more than $200 budget for the sitting room. - could be stretched a bit for the right ideas.

2. Personal preferences - I am VERY open but find myself drawn to lighter colors (these rooms can get a bit dark) or cool "pop" colors (hence putting a magenta damask stencil all over 1 wall in my bedroom). I do not like "safe" beige, sage green, etc. etc. Not for my mood right now. I have a very old, Victorian home w/ original dark chestnut doors and trim that have never seen a lick of paint in100 years. In all the rooms (except the bathrooms) I refuse to paint that dark wood no matter how annoying it is to pair w/ wall color. The cheap "fake wood" floor throughout the 3rd floor has to stay until we have enough $$ to see what lovely hardwood is under there that can be salvaged.

3. As mentioned before, I am really open to all suggestions. Even though I am drawn to lighter colors with pops of color, I am also loving some deep jewel tones, but just don't think they will work well for room that doesn't get THAT much light. So I'm living with the fact that I may not get much of that on my walls... and that's cool.

Here are pictures of the sitting room from various angles. You will see the bathroom through one of the doors and the door to the right of the bathroom is one of the doors that goes thru the closet and allows one to get into my bedroom. Sorry for the mess! Hope this all makes sense...

Thank you all so much for your creative minds! you truly do inspire me.

Add shelving and storage. If you live close to an Ikea, they have excellent bathroom storage selections. Even containers with drain holes for wet items and bathtub toys, glass shelves, etc. You could have a builder cut out a nook or 2 between the studs and tile it to match and use these areas for shampoo bottles and soap.

Could you install a chair rail and some wainscotting to match the paneled doors, or maybe some textured wallpaper above painted in a bright color to bring some texture into the room. Can't see if there is an overhead lightsource, if there is maybe update with a multi-light chandelier age appropriate to the house, to spread more light. Looks like the ceiling are sloped here also, maybe paint white, or a lighter shade of what you choose to do walls in to help reflect the lighting you have. I don't know where you live, but many places around the country have Habitat for Humanity Restores, that sell materials at discounted prices, and you can find alot of interesting and unique items, especially from older homes that may fit the bill for your home.

Hmmmm. I like your idea of the chair rail or, if we decide to puts some panels up like sjkingston suggested in the bathroom, maybe panel the walls of the sitting room too. I think it would give it a richness and also tie it in with the bathroom. Something to think about! The lighting in this sitting room is a small overhead portuguese tile-insipired light. It doesn't give off much light and is probably better suited somwhere else. I think you are right to put in a chandelier. Excellent ideas, Twisted Minds (love the name!). There are many salvage places around where I live (the Philly area) where there are historical homes everywhere. I have bookmarked them to check 'em out as soon as possible!

Since magenta has a blue undertone it works beautifully to pop against navy with white to set them off. How about painting the sitting room white like the bedroom and using a mix of navy and magenta in the pieces and textiles in the room. Look for fun patterns to mix and match. You can take the magenta into the bathroom with the towels and and maybe an art piece or print. The bedroom can have the primarily magenta coloration, the bathroom works the navy color and they can both be pulled into the sitting room where you might want to use the old rule of 60/40/30. As in 60% white (the walls), 30% magenta and 10% navy.

Sjkingston - ur the best! Thank you so much for this. It will be my bible as I go along with this redecorating. Thank you so much. This has been a huge help and huge learning experience thanks to all you great commenters.